Bound To The Darkness
by Candy Crystal
Summary: One law Arceus enforced at the beginning of time: Each mythical Pokemon must sacrifice a portion of their great power and hide as humans among the World. When Hoopa refused, his true form was chained into a dark prison bottle, forced to live the day as a teenage boy or small weak Pokemon before being cast into the chains of darkness every sunset. Until a girl enters his life.
1. Bound

_**Thousands of years ago...**_

" _I am stronger than any mythical Pokemon that has ever walked this Earth! Dahara, you must bow before me! You must succumb to your new master!"_

 _The citizens of Dahara City trembled in terror, hiding amongst the dark shadows of the town as the malevolent Pokemon hovered above them. This is exactly what they had feared. The lust and desire for gold, which had been freely given to them by Hoopa, began to take an evil and destructive turn. His motive had never been for the benefit of Dahara City, no. Hoopa was a Pokemon of pride, mischief, selfishness, darkness, evil, hatred, self-gain... He cared nothing for humans and Pokemon trainers. In fact, he laughed at how pathetic and desperate most of their actions were just for profitable gain._

" _A deal cannot be broken! Citizens of Dahara, in exchange for your greediness and desire of gold which I had freely supplied to you, there comes a price to pay. You MUST bow before me! If you decide not to bow, then I WILL take your so precious life from you!"_

" _Stop it right there Hoopa!"_

 _A beautiful voice, like the sweetness of pure honey echoed loudly throughout the city. The voice had authority and power, causing fear to strike deep within Hoopa's dark heart immediately._

" _Arceus..." He growled deeply under his breathe, knowing instantly who the old man was that had approached him._

 _The yellow circled talisman that hung from the old man's neck glistened brightly within the shadowy atmosphere, almost as if it had a light of it's own. The talisman's, which each mythical Pokemon by Arceus's law at the beginning of creation had to wear at all times, were used to store their immortal powers in order so that they could transform as humans and 'hide' as normal people within the Pokemon World. Arceus had warned at the beginning of creation that this law at any cost could not be broken. Humans and trainers alike could not be at risk of being put in harms way from the godly strength that these Pokemon possessed. Walking the Earth in a human form and fulfilling their duties would keep the natural balance of nature and the World at peace._

 _Each mythical Pokemon had agreed on Arceus's law in order to keep the natural balance for the safety of all humans. When it had come to Hoopa's turn, he challenged his master._

" _Why should we have to give up our powers for these weak, pathetic humans? I mean, look at them! They laugh in the face of death, they use Pokemon for means of wealth and selfish gain. They pollute the Earth, the sea and everything that lives within it. Have your eyes not seen yet Arceus, that your creation of humans is a complete disaster?" Hoopa's eyes glowered a beautiful hue of indigo as he glared into his master's eyes. Hoopa had been the most beautiful, the most majestic and the strongest of all of Arceus's creation. However, if Hoopa could not take the talisman and surrender to his duties amongst the human race, then Arceus would have no choice but to cast the Pokemon out for all eternity into chains of darkness._

 _Hoopa disregarded Arceus's stupid law. He wanted to cause chaos, and what better place to start than Dahara City! A city where the hearts of humans were filled with hatred and greediness. Oh, it wouldn't be hard to tempt them with infinite wealth so that they would bow to the name of Hoopa instead of Arceus. It angered him to his very core to see those pathetic weaklings praising and lifting up the name of Arceus but then hiding deep, dark secrets within their corrupted hearts._

 _Hoopa decided that he would allow them to embrace it, for these pathetic human's to see his full potential in order so that generations to come would praise the name of Hoopa and continue with stories of his powerful legacy into the future. What a incredible plan it was._

 _The citizens of Dahara City were filled with hope as their mysterious saviour began to approach the powerful creature. In order so that the humans could not hear his conversation, Arceus began to communicate with Hoopa using telepathy._

" _You walked away from the truth."_

 _Hoopa burst out into hysterical laughter, as if what Arceus had just spoken was the funniest joke he had ever heard. "Walked away from the truth? No. See Arceus, I simply opened my eyes to the truth. I see the vile and disgusting acts of humans while they torture innocent Pokemon for their own means. You may have every other mythical Pokemon fooled, but my eyes have been opened."_

 _Arceus slowly took another step towards his most strongest creation. "I gave you power over every single Pokemon, over the Pokemon of the land and the Pokemon of the sea. Every single legendary and mythical Pokemon can be summoned in your name. I created you to be just under myself in power, because YOU Hoopa had the ultimate destiny to fulfil. I gave you that power freely, however I warned you that your power had to be weakened so that humans could partake in no part of this. Their safety is priority."_

 _Anger bubbled deep within Hoopa's throat. It was obvious that the 'safety' of measly little humans mattered more to Arceus than his own powerful and magnificent mythical Pokemon whom he had created first. How dare he!_

" _I'm giving you one last chance Hoopa. Surrender yourself, or be cast out into chains of darkness, where your shadow will forever be bound in torment."_

" _ARGHHH! NOOO! I REFUSE TO SURRENDER TO HUMANS!"_

 _Hoopa's eyes suddenly turned into a corrupted blood-red colour as he raised his 6 ringed arms in the air, calling upon lethal winds to destroy the human race and the hopeless city that they resided in._

 _As much as the idea of casting Hoopa out into the darkness ached the very core of his pure heart, Arceus had no choice now. He raised an exquisite yet frightening bottle into the air towards his fallen creation. "Light of confinement, come forth now!"_

 _The citizens of Dahara gasped as the mysterious bottle began to radiate the sky with a alluring light pink colour, hurling forth powerful psychic chains that constrained Hoopa's body. He let out an enraged growl, almost causing the entire city to shake. He couldn't fight the chains... They were too strong..._

" _I bind the true form of Hoopa, his shadow, inside this magical bottle which has been crafted by myself using the powerful elements of nature in the heavenly realm. When the sun has risen, Hoopa must be confined within either the form of a human, or as a very small Pokemon that cannot cause any physical harm or have any powers of any sort, on the exception that he can teleport to help others. Once the sun has set, Hoopa will be forced back into this bottle as his true form to once again be tormented with his enraging anger within the chains of darkness. He will never be truly free until he finds his ultimate salvation."_

 _Once the bottle had been secured shut, Arceus nodded towards the citizens of Dahara City. "Forever praise the name of Arceus and turn away from evil, then your city will be blessed."_

 _Then he left._


	2. The Letter

Lumiose City was a large metropolis in the heart of the Kalos Region, consistently bustling with the laughter and joyful chattering of tourists and travelling Pokemon Trainer's alike. A wide variety of stores, cafes and restaurants adorned it's borders as well as the city being famously known for it's landmarks such as the Prism Tower, which had become home to Lumiose City's Gym Leader Clemont.

Another iconic building was positioned within the Northern Boulevard where many tourists gathered to interact with paintings sourced from all over World and to learn more about them. It had been famously named as the Lumiose Museum.

16 year old Lori Rose was a young teenage girl who worked full-time at the museum, dedicated to showing newcomers it's beautiful historic paintings and prized treasures. She generously bowed her head towards each of them as she stood at the door in her pencil skirt and pale white polo work shirt. In return, the customers shot her a smile and received an audio guide.

"It's been busy today Miss Rose."

An 18 year old girl with long curly black hair walked over and nudged her from behind, almost causing Lori to jump in fright.

When she quickly turned around and immediately realised it was her best friend Marie, she laughed. In all honesty she should have known. Lori usually recognised that thick African accent from a mile away.

"Oh gosh you! Get back to work! You're suppose to be the adult around here."

"Is your mother still contemplating about moving away to Dahara City?" Marie asked curiously. Lori could sense it in her eyes - Fear. Marie would be broken if her best friend were to move across the country.

For months now, Lori's mother had been discussing with her daughter every night at the dinner table about moving to Dahara City and enrolling her into a Pokemon Trainer school. She deeply and passionately loved the idea of becoming a Pokemon Trainer, but moving to a completely new city and starting over? Giving up a decade worth of friendship with Marie? It was too much to bear.

"The reality is that they do have the best Pokemon Trainer School in the region. The city can be a bit weird as they have dedicated almost everything towards Arceus, however on the contrary I wholeheartedly support the reason why your mother wants to move you there. As hard as it may be Lor, there is nothing for you here."

She became a little shocked to hear her best friend call her Lor. Marie rarely called her that unless she was attempting to talk seriously.

"Face it. You know deep within your heart that it is the truth."

Lori sighed heavily as she gazed down at her watch. 4:30pm, that meant closing time was very soon and it was finally the end of another shift.

Lori waved her friend goodbye as she left the museum, passing by the busy cafes and smelling the delicious scent of fresh food inside them. She could hear the cheerful cries of many different types of Pokemon inside while their trainers happily fed them. The inseparable bond between the two caused a faithful spark within Lori's heart. How she dreamed of having a loving connection like that one day.

Home was located about 1km south of the Museum, on a long road notably named as Hibernal Avenue. The Pokemon League champion regularly visited the street to dine and battle with other hardcore Pokemon Trainer's at the Restaurant Le Wow, often causing paparazzi to be running rampart along Hibernal Avenue, keeping the local people awake late at night. Lumiose City was a crazy place, but Lori loved every single part of it.

As she approached the small house which she happily called home, mother was already standing near the door. What was going on?

"Lori my dear! I have exciting news!"

Lori shot a perplexed look as she watched her mother hold out an opened letter of some sort. "What is it?"

"The application I sent about a month ago for your enrolment into Dahara City Trainer School of course! It has been accepted and your new class commences next week!"

"WHAT!?"

Lori stared blankly at her mother, unable to comprehend what emotion should hit her first. Excitement? Hold on a second, what about Marie? Loneliness? After all she would have no friends in Dahara City. A dream come true? She had longed deeply to be a Pokemon Trainer after all. What difference would moving this week make compared to moving there in the future anyway?

"Lori, becoming a Pokemon Trainer has been your dream! I enrolled you because I knew that you would have never worked up the courage to make the choice for yourself. If you refuse to take this leap of faith, you will grow up to be an adult and most likely still be stuck at that Museum with the dream of owning Pokemon running constantly through your head followed by the regret of never taking the final leap to your destiny. I know it seems scary at first lovely, but everything will turn out for the best. Come, pack your stuff. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Lori promptly grabbed the letter from her mother's hand, pushing back her long cinnamon brown coloured hair from her beautiful emerald green eyes as she studied the print on the piece of paper.

" _ _Miss__ _ _Lorilia__ _ _Rose - Hibernal Avenue, Lumiose City.__

 _ _Congratulations Miss Rose! You have been specially chosen here at Dahara City Trainer School to attend our specialised Pokemon Trainer classes for beginners which will be commencing on the 16th January 2017. We warmly welcome you to our incredible school and look forward to seeing you very soon.__

 _ _Regards.__

 _ _Mrs. Asuka Hayashi – Dahara City Trainer School, Dahara City.__

An enthusiastic smile immediately crossed Lori's face.


	3. Dark Secrets

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Lori was instantly greeted with an unlimited supply of cuddles and kisses at her front door from her mother's bubbly Lillipup.

Woofie was a Pokemon, but he was also the family pet. He had trained in many small battles prior to stepping foot in the Kalos region from Unova, however when he was kindly given to mother from a complete stranger, she never had the desire to continue battling with him but rather preferred raising Woofie with tenderly love like the rest of the family.

Growing up in the previous five years alongside Woofie is what had sparked the passion in Lori's heart to become a Pokemon Trainer in the first place. He possessed a very special move called "Rock Smash" which became very helpful when Lori would explore the neighbourhood routes with him. The exciting thrill of just fishing in the local river and playing underneath the crisp autumn trees on Route 16 near home gave her wanderlust.

Lori shot a delighted smile towards the small Lullipup. "Let's get packing Woofie! The Rose family will soon be moving to Dahara City!"

The quirky puppy Pokemon bounced with excitement.

-X-X-X

 _ **The next day.**_

"Marie, we've just passed the borders of Lumiose City... Yes I know, we barely left ten minutes ago and I'm already crying."

A small tear escaped Lori's deep emerald eyes as she listened to the soothing voice of her best friend on the phone.

It had been exceptionally hard to leave Marie behind. A decade of friendship would not be easily replaced.

"I'm going to miss you too Marie..."

Woofie noticed Lori's deep sadness and cuddled her closely in an attempt to comfort the young girl.

The drive almost felt as though it had taken forever. Scenery rapidly changed from the bustling Lumiose metropolis to beautiful secluded farmlands that appeared to roll endlessly over the horizon. The golden sun glistened like a yellow marble in the heavens as vast flocks of Fletchling soared freely through the crystal blue skies. The view was absolutely breathtaking and Lori was absorbing every single moment of it.

We passed gorgeous little towns that held great history and many rare treasured secrets. Ancient cobble stoned roads were abounding with children and Pokemon alike, playing games and laughing with a joy that Lori hadn't seen in a very long time. It was moments of capturing beautiful images like these that people missed in the chaotic, traffic-heavy streets of Lumiose.

As hours gradually passed, the scorching arid desert atmosphere soon surrounded the car while the stunning megalopolis brimming with both enormous skyscrapers and petite mud brick houses slowly came into our view.

A huge smile instantly formed across Lori's face. "Dahara City! Oh wow look at this place!"

Woofie barked eagerly as mother crossed over the bridge and entered into the city. The mud brick houses were abundant with large families and their Ground-Type Pokemon, all gathered around tables to feast and give thanks to their creator.

As Lori continued to stare out the window, she immediately began to realise that the facts Marie had spoken about Dahara City previously were all too true. Treasures, monuments, towers, talismans and many other beautiful artefacts had been constructed over thousands of years dedicated strictly to the Alpha Pokemon. It seemed as though almost _every_ single personwas in awe of a Pokemon whom was only ever spoken of in legends and ancient stories. Heck, this magnificent so-called Arceus may have never even existed for all the World knew. How could something like a 'Pokemon' have had the ability to carve and create massive regions like Kalos anyway?

The fresh afternoon air began to cool as mother pulled into the driveway of their new home, the sun just moments away from setting and turning the desert sky into an alluring orange-yellow hue.

"Hey Mom, before we unpack I quickly want to meet our new neighbour."

Lori excitedly burst open the door of the van as she walked towards the larger two-story mud brick home that sat adjacent to their own house, casually approaching the heavily secured front door that looked almost like a prison cell. Well, that was definitely a bit odd. Every single one of the other homes that mother had previously passed on the way in had been wide open overflowing with the joys and chatter of people. This one seemed... Different.

Another weird matter that caught Lori's attention was that absolutely nothing had been devoted to Arceus. In fact, it seemed as though it had the complete opposite happening, almost a dark effect, causing Lori to be slightly taken aback by this stranger's sinister abode.

Lost in her rampart thoughts, she decided to shake off the odd feeling and began to knock on the front door.

"Hello, is anybody there? My name is Lori Rose and I just moved here from Lumiose City. I'd love to meet you. I am your new neighbour!"

Lori continued to stand at the door, with the small hope that maybe even a teenage girl with similar ambitions of becoming a Pokemon Trainer like her would answer. Oh how she longed for a friend right now!

No answer.

"Hello? Is anybody th..."

"Go away!"

A deep male growl from inside the house almost causing Lori to jump back in fright, cutting her off sentence. How rude of this boy!

She felt a sense of anger bubble deep in her throat. That was not the type of attitude that she had wanted from her new neighbour!

Momentarily Lori decided to calm herself and spoke once again.

"Well... If you ever need anything my mother and I will happily invite you over for a chat and some food. I see the townsfolk are very much like this..."

She was about to bitterly spill out "sad that you aren't like the rest of the townsfolk" but decided against it.

Again, there was no answer.

"Ok well anyway I have to go, see ya!"

Lori shrugged off the impolite encounter and walked back towards the van, helping her mother unpack the rest of the household furniture.

"So, what was the neighbour like?"

Lori sighed, avoiding direct eye contact with her mother. "Rude, disrespectful, nasty. I should have expected that coming from a male."

"It's ok dear, there are plenty of other young teenagers in our street who would love to meet you." Mother smiled gently. "I heard that most of them attend the Trainer School too. You'll make a lot of like-minded friends here. A very high percentage of people who move to Dahara City stay here, almost like one large family."

"I'd like to think so Mom, but Mr. Rude Boy living next door hasn't given me a positive first impression has he..."

"Give it time dear. The city will soon come around for you."

Lori groaned briefly as she grabbed her belongings from the back of the van, entering their new home and attempting to decide which room would be perfect for her new bedroom. Which would she prefer? The front or the back of the house? When she had finally chosen the large bedroom located at the very back of the house, Woofie was already sitting cheerfully on her bed.

"Oh Woofie! Chose my bedroom for me did you?"

He barked in response, beginning to swiftly wag his cute brown tail with excitement. As Lori dumped her belongings on the floor to pet the Lillipup, she immediately noticed that her window faced directly into the neighbours bedroom. Brimming with curiosity, she crouched to her knees and cautiously eyed her mother's small Pokemon.

"Shhh, I think there's someone in the other bedroom..."

Woofie obeyed her commands and quietly bounced onto the floor out of the window's sight. The dim afternoon light shone directly through the window as Lori slowly approached it. Sunset had almost run its course and the night was beginning to peek through the darkened orange-yellow desert sky.

"I don't want to return to the chains within the darkness! Gargghhhh!"

Lori gasped in terror as she silently watched a small purple ringed Pokemon floating around the bedroom, almost as if the creature were fighting some kind of great power. Was the Pokemon is serious trouble? Why could it talk? Where was it's trainer? And why on Earth were they allowing their Pokemon to be seriously harmed like this!?

Lori couldn't bare to witness the sight of this poor Pokemon's state. She immediately jumped up and began to scream out the window. "Where is your trainer!? Stay right where you are, I will come over and save you!"

The Pokemon had become completely startled at the sound of somebody's voice. He turned his eyes rapidly in Lori's direction, staring cold and darkly towards the young girl.

"Go away... I will harm you!"

A dark and evil shadow lingered within the atmosphere, surrounding the small purple Pokemon as his body was savagely swept away and thrown into what looked as though to be some sort of creepy bottle. Echoes of a deep malicious growl seemed to drift far away as the dark presence and the Pokemon gradually disappeared right in front of Lori's eyes.

"What... Just... Happened... That Pokemon... Spoke.."

Woofie growled in protest.


	4. Rogue

The moon began to cast its lustrous light upon the brisk windswept desert as the sun disappeared behind the monstrous sand dunes within the far distance.

Distress peaked deep within Lori's heart as she burst out the front door and stormed towards her neighbours house. HOW could any Pokemon Trainer allow such a beautiful creature to have to endure _so_ much pain like that!? Not to mention that the Pokemon could SPEAK!? It angered her to the very core of her body. Whoever that rude man was living next door would definitely pay for the neglectful behaviour towards his own Pokemon. If the final decision came down to stealing the purple Pokemon away to save it's life, then so be it. She would.

Overflowing with rage, Lori found herself banging adamantly on her neighbours heavily barred front door. "Open the door! I witnessed exactly what happened to your Pokemon and the pain it had to endure! You don't even deserve to own it you coward! Open the door NOW!"

An icy breeze blew straight through Lori's skin. Wow. She hadn't expected the desert to be this cold at night.

"Ay you! I just thought I'd let ya know, nobody has lived in that house for many hundreds of years."

Lori was spooked by an unfamiliar voice behind her. As she rapidly spun around, she noticed a punk-looking girl with bright pink hair standing by the road.

"Huh?"

The mysterious girl approached her with a smile. "Name's Rogue. I live over there directly across the road from your new house."

Lori watched inquisitively as the girl pointed towards an open mud brick house across the pavement. Rogue beamed in response.

"Ya'll welcome any time to come 'round ours and have a feast with our family. We love new families who move here to our beaut city."

Lori giggled quietly at her new found friend's Australian accent. However, trouble continued to stir deep within her heart regarding the mistreatment of that poor Pokemon inside the house.

"Rogue, a horrible man lives inside that house. I heard his voice when we first arrived here in Dahara City. Then I saw a small purple Pokemon suffering pain through my window into the bedroom of that house. The room was completely empty, however I did notice some sort of eerie looking bottle on the table."

Rogue burst out into hysterical laughter. "No man or woman for that matter has ever even set foot from that house in hundreds of years, a large percentage of locals even claim it to be thousands of years. We moved 'ere when I was just a wee little tucker, about fifteen years ago and not one soul within Dahara City has ever seen somebody inside that house. The majority of the city claim the place is haunted with some kinda dark presence that is an abomination in the sight of Arceus. I personally just think it's abandoned hey. People get too caught up in old stories."

"I swear though..."

"Ay, so if you are new 'ere are you attending the Trainer School next week?"

"Heck yeah of course I am!" Lori bounced happily for a few moments, until she realised that she hadn't even introduced herself to her new friend yet. "Oh I'm sorry! My name is Lori Rose. We moved here earlier today from Lumiose City."

"'Bout time you told me your name!" Rogue chuckled jokingly. "Nah it's all good Lor, I think we are gunna have a real great time at school together."

Lori was taken aback slightly by the nickname. It reminded her too much of Marie back home.

Home? No... Dahara City was home now and Rogue would be her new friend. Although nothing could ever replace or separate the decade of friendship she shared with Marie, this place was her new life now. She couldn't keep denying that fact any more.

-X-X-X

 _ **One week later.**_

The much anticipated morning that Lori had been awaiting for a long time finally arrived. The first day commencing as a student at Dahara City Trainer School.

As the previous week passed, she had kept a close watch on her next door neighbours window ensuring that the Pokemon she had seen was in no harm or danger. The blinds now had become completely sealed, deterring her from seeing inside the bedroom and hearing any noises from within the house. It frustrated her that somebody would even think to do such a thing.

While Lori waved goodbye to her mother and jumped excitedly outside the house towards the school bus, Rogue met her on the front seat.

"Ay Lorz!"

"Hey Rogue!" Lori returned her friend a sweet smile. "Wow! I'm surprised. There are so many young people from our street heading to the Trainer School!"

Happiness permeated her heart as she scanned the interior of the bus, watching the children laugh and play games on their seats. Student ages roughly approximated between ten and eighteen, a small portion already elite Pokemon Trainer's, some novice continuing their second or third year at school and many others just beginning training in their first year.

There was one specific eighteen year old boy however that puzzled Lori. She couldn't quite comprehend his year or trainer status. He sat darkly in the back corner of the bus, lifting his charming yellow coloured eyes towards her and quickly looking back down again. What had been that boy's problem?

"That's Harper." Rogue motioned Lori to sit directly next to her. "He's creepy as you probably just noticed, apparently been coming to this 'ere school for a long time and still hasn't gotten anywhere in life. Stories go 'round that he wipes the memory of every single teacher so that he can stay here forever ay."

A dark shadowy voice echoed throughout the bus, causing the younger girls to scream. "I can _HEAR_ you talking about me! Stupid girl!"

"Bring it on ay Harper! I ain't afraid of you!" Rogue hissed back.

"That's enough students!" An authoritative voice cut through the hysterical screaming and chattering as an older man alighted the school bus. Rogue gestured towards Lori quietly.

"This is Tony the bus driver. He's a bit of an angry old man sometimes."

"Rory return to your seat now! Trixie, sit back down! And you two..." Tony glared his eyes back and forth between Rogue and the black-haired eighteen year old boy. "You two must stop your useless bickering every single morning on the bus. I cannot have this argument any longer!"

"She started it. Now if I still had my power all of you would all be trembling in the shadows." Harper stared directly at Lori, sending shivers rapidly down her spine. His dark glare then fell on Rogue.

"Powers!? Ha! You're so full of ya self Harps. You don't even own any Pokemon!"

Rogue's laughter had become so loud that it echoed throughout the entire street.

"I don't need a Pokemon to battle fool. Darkness will rise again soon."

"Then why the _HELL_ are you at a Pokemon Trainer School you noob!?"

Lori pulled her friend back calmly. "Stop Rogue. That's enough."

The frustration that seemed to unleash from this boy frightened every nerve in Lori's body. However she also felt as though he was holding something back... Not on his own terms either. A much darker hatred... Something malevolent and filled with pure evil.

What was this boy hiding? Not to mention his voice sounded oddly familiar to the rude man that she had heard next door when they had first moved to Dahara City.

Determination sparked deep within Lori's heart. She would find out as much as she could about this boy and help him in any possible way that she could.


	5. Classes

"Are ya serious!? Come on... Please tell me you ain't serious Lorz. Harper is absolutely mental and he ain't the normal type either. I mean that boy is some kinda darker mental!"

Rogue shot her new friend a concerned look as Lori whispered faintly down the school hallway regarding Harper.

"I honestly think he needs a friend that's all."

"Lor, see these Arceus symbols plastered over the school walls 'ere?" Rogue briskly flicked her bright pink bangs from her eyes as she pointed towards the historic paintings. "Harper _curses_ em, every single day that he walks down this hallway."

"Well why does he live in Dahara if he hates Arceus then? I mean, the entire city is purely dedicated to the Alpha Pokemon."

Rogue shrugged. "I dunno. We don't have class together unfortunately, but here's your schedule anyway. See ya at lunch!"

Lori grasped the small piece of brown paper from her friend's hand and waved goodbye. The top of the paper read:

" _9:15am – Pokemon Art. Room 17, Block A."_

Pokemon Art wasn't necessarily the first class Lori had in mind however she chose to be excited about it anyway. While she quickly examined the entire paper, it seemed as though her most anticipated class _"Pokemon status problems and healing"_ was at the end of the school day. The road to becoming a Pokemon Trainer was definitely looking thrilling!

Lori nervously entered the Art room, promptly greeted by the teacher and his fellow students.

"Ah! Miss Rose welcome to your very first class! I am Mr. Woods." He casually nodded a sweet smile towards Lori and slowly gestured her into the room. "Students welcome your new classmate, Miss Lorilia Rose."

As she gazed awkwardly around the room towards the fifteen teenagers and waved, Lori heard somebody almost choke on their food in the back corner.

"No."

"Excuse me, Harper?"

"Did you hear what I said? No."

The dark haired boy's deep yellow eyes stared straight into my own, almost as if they were heavily studying me.

Mr. Woods raised his hand towards his mouth in an attempt to cover a small cough. "Well Harper, as a student here at Dahara City Trainer School you are not given the privilege to choose who your fellow classmates are."

The entire class laughed uncontrollably as he let out a dark, low growl.

"Stop acting like an animal. Now Lori, I apologise for Harper's rude behaviour. There is a seat over against the other back corner. I will commence this class shortly."

Lori nodded politely towards the teacher and pushed her bags onto the nearby desk as she sat down peacefully. Harper continued to watch her every move...

Her every single move.

"Stop creeping on the new girl Harper!" One short black-haired Russian girl yelled from the front of the class. As the moments passed by, Lori noticed that every classmate wore an Arceus talisman... Everybody except herself and Harper.

"I want her out now."

"It seems like the opposite to us. You're interested." A fair skinned blonde girl with crystal blue eyes giggled in the middle row. Lori's cheeks immediately flushed bright red.

"Pffft."

"Stop talking!" Mr. Woods returned to the art room almost instantaneously. "Now class, as we commence this new semester I want every one of you to write an essay and paint an image of our new core focus which will be the _beginning of time..._ "

The entire class jumped with fright as Harper angrily shoved his desk away and stood up.

"Sit down Harper!" Mr. Woods commanded. The boy glared in response.

"I refuse!"

"Harper always has anger issues." A petite auburn haired country girl sitting next to Lori whispered. "I honestly don't understand how he hasn't been kicked out of the school after all these years. He has apparently been here longer than any of us."

"Maybe his parent's force him to come?" Lori muttered in return. Harper eyed her heavily as he left the classroom. Had he just heard what she said? No, that was completely impossible. Lori had been at least 35 feet away and no other student in the class had heard her whispering.

"He doesn't have any parents. Nobody even knows where he lives but all the student's that attend the school don't really care anyway. He is scary." The girl smiled anxiously as she held her Arceus talisman tightly within her palm. "Arceus knows the heart of all living things."

45 minutes had finally passed when the school bell rang for next class. As Lori silently watched her classmates exit the room, she remained sitting at her desk staring down towards the splendid painting she had just completed.

It was the small ringed purple Pokemon, eyes brimming with a horrible pain as he floated directly above the eerie bottle she had seen in her next door neighbour's house. Honestly, that very first afternoon while the sun was setting over the horizon had affected her to such an extent that she could not stop thinking about it. The house had been completely lifeless since that day. She wondered every moment what had happened to that beautiful Pokemon.

Mr. Woods calmly approached her, causing Lori to snap from her inner thoughts. "Hmmm Miss Rose, your painting is superb. However unfortunately it does not fit within our core category."

"I understand sir. I apologise for my lack of attention during class, I have much going on in my mind at the moment..."

"I see." Mr. Woods studied the painting carefully. "It seems as though this Pokemon is expressing significant amounts of agony. Are these emotions you are currently experiencing in your own personal life Miss Rose?"

"Not at all sir!" Lori shook her head briskly. "It's just... Never mind."

The teacher nodded, handing Lori back her painting. "If you ever require somebody to speak to, you should know that all of our teachers at this school are here to guide you. The beautiful element surrounding Pokemon Art is that we as trainer's have the ability to explain our deepest and most darkest emotions through it when words can not. Expression through imagery is a wonderful phenomenon indeed."

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind." Lori nodded politely as she lifted her backpack, carrying her new painting underneath her arms while she left the room.

The hallway had been completely lifeless. Every student had already walked into their classes.

"Oh crap!" Lori panicked as she swiftly scanned the piece of paper. What subject did she have next?

" _10am – Pokemon Abilities & Attacks. Room 1, Block A."_

Oh, well that wasn't too far away. Just a brief walk down the hall and to the left...

Suddenly, a dark presence pounced into Lori from behind. She had almost screamed her lungs out, until a large hand rapidly covered her mouth from doing so.

As she glanced her eyes towards the figure behind her, she suddenly realised it was Harper.

"I will remove my hand if you promise not to scream."

Lori attempted to struggle from the dark-haired boy's tight grip, however he was incredibly strong. _Too_ strong. Harper stared at her coldly.

"Mmmm. Mmmmmmmm."

Lori muttered anxiously as his hand pushed softly against her mouth. When a minute had passed with no luck of speaking, she succumbed and nodded in response to his question. Harper finally removed his hand.

"What the hell do you want Harper!?" Frustration sparked inside Lori's body as she glared into his captivating eyes. "You are despicable!"

"Forget everything that you saw."

"Excuse me?"

Lori gasped as his eyes began to change from the captivating yellow colour they had once been into a shadowy blood-red hue. There was a darkness and an evil she couldn't comprehend staring at her from behind them.

His voice suddenly transitioned into a deep, demonic voice as he continued to stare into her eyes. "I demand that you forget everything that you saw at your neighbour's house. I demand that you forget the purple ringed Pokemon and that you spoke to a man there. The house has been abandoned for hundreds of years..."

"Hold on a second, you know about that place... And you know about the Pokemon!?" Lori shoved herself angrily away from the boy as she cut his sentence short.

Harper's mouth dropped instantly, unable to speak as the blood-red hue returned to the captivating yellow colour they had always been.

Whatever ludicrous tricks he was trying to play, she definitely was not going to fall for it.

Harper's eyes were anxiously brimming with too much emotion for Lori to even comprehend. For a brief moment she realised that she had never seen one person experience such intense confusion and shock in her entire life.

After a few silent moments, he finally spoke. "You mean, that you still remember?"

"Of course I remember! What the hell is your problem Harper?! Leave me alone!"

As she furiously hurled her new painting down onto the ground in front of him, Lori bolted outside of the school building away from his presence.


	6. Strange Visions

Lori's second class couldn't have dragged on for any longer. Seriously.

She stared blankly as the teacher spoke to the class, summarising Pokemon and their unique abilities on the whiteboard in front of her.

Static, wasn't it? The one that did some kind of status condition upon contact? Lori honestly couldn't remember... Too many thoughts were flooding her mind.

"Miss Lori, can you please tell me what ability allows the defending Pokemon to be cured of any status condition upon switching out of battle?"

Oh crap...

Lori shook with anxiety as sweat dripped down her forehead. There was no way she could fail class on the first day. Damn it... Why had she not listened the entire period? Also, _why_ did the teacher have to pick her out anyway? Out of all these fifteen students...

Mrs. Saisha lowered her glasses as she gazed in Lori's direction. "I am waiting for an answer."

Um.

A sharp voice cut through the atmosphere. It was Harper.

"Natural Cure Ms. Saisha. The answer is Natural Cure."

Well, that was awkward. Frustration burned like a furnace within Lori's body at the conclusion of that horrendous boy answering her question.

"I didn't need your help Harper!" She hissed. The boy cackled in response.

"Well you could have fooled me because it sure seemed like the opposite."

"Arghhh!"

Lori had almost hit breakpoint with Harper after his creepy incident earlier on. She would find out and expose his secrets soon enough.

Once the school bell had rang for morning tea, Lori stormed towards Harper's desk, who in return shot her a crooked smile.

"Don't you dare smile at me Harper!"

"Oooo you're a feisty one today Miss Rose. I surely could get used to this."

Lori could barely contain the fury that ached to burst from deep within her. She wanted to punch him right there, and badly. Studying to become a Pokemon Trainer was one thing... But knowing about the purple Pokemon in trouble and not doing anything to save it? Lori felt as though she had a duty to protect Pokemon in danger regardless of if she made a scene in front of the entire class or not.

"Stop playing games with me Harper. You know everything about that purple Pokemon living next door to my house and you know it! On another note, you might even be Mr. Rude Boy who lives there and treats the poor creature with such torment. It wouldn't surprise me honestly, you act and sound exactly like he did!"

Lori immediately noticed that dark hue of blood-red gradually fill his striking yellow eyes. Almost instantaneously, they returned back to normal.

"I don't know anything."

"You are a liar!" As her index finger forcefully poked Harper in the chest, Lori was suddenly taken aback as vivid images flooded her mind.

She was standing amongst a large group of people near market shelters created from woven fabrics and Dahara City's beautiful historic mud brick houses. Lori noticed the women wearing old fashioned hijabs as they hand crafted stunning artwork on pottery pieces and other sorts of treasures. The artwork had been centred around the great symbol of Arceus, the supposed 'creator' of the entire Pokemon World.

As Lori curiously scanned her surroundings she saw the scorching arid desert rolling endlessly in the distance. Wait a second...

Where were the skyscrapers? Where were all the cars, the bitumen paved roads and the gigantic street lights that illuminated the city on dark nights like these? This was all a little too odd...

"Excuse me sir." Lori nervously approached a nearby man wearing a headscarf, piles of gold overflowing in his hands. He eyed her cautiously before nodding his head silently, keeping a very close eye on his prized treasure.

"Where are all the skyscrapers? Where am I? What year is it?"

"What are you babbling on about child? I do not know of this skyscraper you speak of. This town is named Dahara of course as you can see by our endless horizon of desert sand. The year today is 1 B.C. Now go and return to your parents child, Hoopa will be returning very soon."

"Excuse me?"

All of a sudden a dark, malicious voice filled the entire town as a monstrous evil purple Pokemon with yellow rings encircling his six arms smirked widely, bearing rows of razor sharp teeth towards his humans below.

"Hehehe. Speak to me citizens of Dahara, what desires and passions so desperately ache the very core of your pathetic weak hearts? I will make a deal with you all and shower your desert once again with gold and rare treasures."

A old man wearing a headscarf and robe threw his hands up towards the mythical Pokemon. "We need as much gold as we can get for our town to prosper! Please Hoopa! Provide us with more gold!"

Hoopa shot a sly prideful smile. "Deep inside your heart is filled with selfishness, cruelty and jealousy. I like it. You may receive your end of the bargain."

"I created this for you Hoopa, in the hope that you may bless me and my family!" A younger woman sitting in a nearby market stall held up a piece of her most prized pottery towards the Pokemon. He glared at her angrily before throwing a fit of rage.

"How dare you offer me this vase covered in artwork dedicated towards Arceus! I am the _only_ master and God of Dahara! I continue to provide your city with riches and this is how you repay me!? Now your citizens will feel the full wrath of Hoopa!"

Lori gazed up in terror as the six yellow rings left the Pokemon's arms, opening what looked as though to be some sort of portal. Six enraged legendary Pokemon hurled their rugged bodies out of the rings, causing the entire earth to shake and lethal storms to brew violently above.

What on Earth was happening?

Hoopa's voice roared like crackling thunder throughout the town. "I am stronger than any mythical Pokemon that has ever walked this Earth! Dahara, you must bow before me! You must succumb to your new master!"

The citizens of Dahara City screamed with fear as they attempted to hide in the shadows and escape the Pokemon's dark evil presence. The six legendary Pokemon began to viciously burn down their buildings, tearing apart every inch of the town that the citizens had laboured so hard day and night to build. Dahara City had turned into a ruin, with many people unable to escape the flames and being burned alive within the walls of the town. Hoopa laughed at the horrific torment happening around him.

Suddenly, Hoopa stopped when he noticed the captivating beauty of a young girl standing directly in front of him. It was Lori.

He lowered himself towards the dusty ground below to become closer to her, curiously studying her every move. She was standing alone, the citizens of Dahara watching from the distance in fear. After a few moments of silence, he spoke.

"Lori? How... Why are you here?"

A wave of emotion hit the Pokemon instantaneously and Lori sensed it. Almost as if the Pokemon had just seen his near future, and the expression of his emotions showed that he did not like it at all. A future of torment and pain perhaps? She couldn't quite understand it, but words came to her mouth and she spoke them anyway.

"Regardless of what happens Hoopa, I'll do my very best to be there for you. Regardless of how reckless and destructive you become, I am rooting for you."

The lethal hurricane encircling above the town gradually disappeared as Lori watched a sense of calmness wash over the mythical Pokemon. A soothing voice, almost like the sweetness of pure honey echoed deep inside Lori's mind.

"You are his salvation Lori. You are the key to his freedom."

Suddenly, her vision became blurry as she collapsed towards the ground. A concerned expression crossed the purple Pokemon's face as he watched her. When Lori's vision went completely black, she was awoken with a jolt by a familiar voice.

It was mother.

"Wh- What... What happened to me!?"

Mother softly stroked her warm hands along her daughter's forehead.

"Rest up my dear. You fainted at school after fighting with Harper. I really don't understand why you hate the boy so much. He came around here earlier to see if you were ok."

Lori growled under her breathe, the dream of the mythical Pokemon Hoopa still clear in her mind. "I just do."


End file.
